Animal-trap.



J. F. DRAPER.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1910.

Patented 0011.4, 1910.

2 SHEETS -SHEET l.

J. P. DRAPER.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1910.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, u. c

TINTTED %TATE8 ATENT FFTQE.

JOHN E. DRAPER, OF ALBIA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JOHN J.TAGLAUER, OF ALBIA, IOWA.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4t, 1910.

Application filed June 8, 1910. Serial No. 565,766.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. Deanna, citizen of the United States,residing at Albia, in the county of Monroe and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Traps, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to traps having special reference to an improvedanimal trap adapted particularly for rabbits, squirrels, minks, and thelike.

The invention contemplates a structure of trap whereby the same may beconverted from a trap for animals of the size of rabbits into a trap forrats and mice.

The invention has for an object to provide a simply constructed, astrong and an efficient trap which may be partially knocked down forshipment, packing or the like.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing clescription and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the improved trap, the parts thereof being set. Fig.2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the same. Fig. 3 is asimilar view disclosing the trap in a closed position. Fig. t is adetail view of the forward end of the trap showing an. attachment to thesame for adapting the trap to small animals. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of the attachment.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the trap comprises a relatively long andnarrow body composed of a bottom 10, sides 11 and 12 and a top 13. Theinner end of the trap is provided with a hinged door 1 1 forming theend-Wall of the trap. The door 141 is provided with. a bait pocket 15comprising a sheet of metal which is secured across the lower portion ofthe door 14 and having its upper end looped outwardly to receive thebait. The strip of metal is preferably perforated for the purpose ofattracting the attention of animals to be caught. The outer end of thetrap is provided with a vertically sliding shutter 16 which is formed ofa relatively thin substance and slidably disposed in grooves 17 formedin registration in the inner faces of the sides 11 and 12 and the bottom10. The grooves 17 are formed adjacent the forward extremity of thetrap. The top 13 is provided with a pair of spaced blocks 18 which areforked at their outer ends, the forked ends extending toward the ends ofthe trap, and are secured to the cover 13 by Wood screws 19. A pair ofstandards 20 are carried upon the top 18 engaging between the arms ofthe blocks 18 at their lower extremities and being retained in suchposition by the provision of detachable pins 21. The upper ends of thestandards 20 are apertured for the reception of the inner extremities ofthe arched arms 22 which are secured in various adjusted angles aboutthe standards 20 by set-screws 23. The set-screws 23 engage through thesides of the standards 20 and with the inner ends of the arms 22.Pulleys 2 1 are mounted in the outer extremities of the arms 22 andsupport there over a connecting cord 25. A third pulley 26 is mounted ina suitable bracket 27 upon the upper side of the cover 13 midway betweenthe standards 20. The forward end of the cord 25 is attached to theupper edge of the shutter 16 by an eye 2T which is carried by theshutter. The rear extremity of the cord 25 depends from the rear pulley2 1 and is attached to a trigger 28. The trigger 28 is in the form of abar having a lateral projection 29 forming a shoulder adjacent the upperend of the trigger. The cover 13 is suitably apertured as at 80 toloosely receive the trigger 28 and the projection 29 therethrough. Themarginal edge of the opening 30 is flattened at one side to provide alip 31 to snugly receive the projection 29, in order to hold the shutter16 in a set position, as is disclosed in Fig. 2. A tripping leaf 32 ishinged upon the bottom 10 forwardly of the trigger 28, the free or rearedge of the tripping leaf 32 resting loosely against the lower end ofthe trigger 28 when the same is set.

The cover 13 is apertured as at 33 at a point forwardly of the outerblock 18. The aperture 33 is normally closed by a slide 34.- which ishingcd at one side upon a pin 35 passing through the cover 18. Theopening 83 may be used for the purpose of ventilation when the trap isemployed for large game. It is provided for the reception of adetachable tripping mechanism when the trap is employed for rats andmice. The

tripping mechanism, as is disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5, comprises a flange36 carrying a cylinder 37 depending from the inner edge thereof. Thecylinder carries an inwardly extending flange 38 at its lower end toreceive a disk 39 which is hinged within the flange 38, as at 4L0, andheld in a closed po sition through the medium of a weight 41. The weightL1 is carried upon the outer end of an arched arm 42 extending laterallyfrom the disk 39 at a point midway between the hinges 40. The outer edgeof the disk, or the edge opposite from the arm &2 rests against theinner beveled edge of the flange 38, while the rear edge or" the disk isadapted for movement upwardly within the cylinder 37 when the weight ofan animal is disposed upon the outer portion of the disk.

The trigger 28 carries a brace e3 in the form of a diagonal armdepending from the upper end of the trigger and having a cross arm hiupon its lower extremity to rest upon the cover 13. The cross arm asholds the brace $3 from lateral movement to retain the trigger 28 in asubstantially vertical po sition and to insure the release of the same.

Referring to Fig. 1 the trap is disclosed as set. In this position, thetrigger 28 is drawn downwardly through the opening 30, and theprojection 29 engages against the under side of the lip 31. The trigger28 holds the cord 25 taut to retain the shutter 16 in a raised positionto open the outer end of the trap. The pocket 15 is provided with bait,and when the animal enters the trap and attempts to procure the bait,the animal steps upon the tripping leaf 22 and swings the same into adownward position. This movement of the leaf 32 forces the lower end ofthe trigger 28 backwardly and removes the projection 29 from the lip 31,whereupon the wei ht of the shutter 16 upon the cord 25 draws thetrigger upwardly through the opening 30. The shutter 16 thus falls intoa closed position and the animal in the trap is prevented from escaping.The trap is designed to be relatively narrow so that the animal which iscaught therein cannot turn, although this feature is not necessary tothe efiective operation of the trap.

When the trap is employed in connection with small animals, such as ratsand the like, the attachment which is disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 isinserted through the cover 13 after the slide 34 has been moved openedor in the position disclosed in Fig. l. The cylinder 37 is insertedthrough the opening in the cover 13 to engage the flange 36 upon thecover about the opening to support the cylinder 37 in position. hen inthis position the bottom of the cylinder, or the disk 39 is spacedupwardly from the bottom 10 of the top so that the animal entering thecylinder 3'? falls through the bottom thereof and into the trap.

The slide 16 is provided across its inner face and adjacent to its loweredge with a protecting strip 45, acting as a weight to insure thedropping of the door or shutter 16 into a closed position when releasedby the trigger 28.

The standards 20 are reinforced by a detachable brace-rod 46 having.downturned fingers 47 at its ends to engage in screw eyes 48 carried inthe inner opposite point of the standards.

Having thus described the what is claimed as new is 1. A trap includingan elongated and narrow body having registering grooves in its bottomand sides, a hinged rear door upon the body, a bait pocket carriedagainst the inner side of the door, a shutter mounted for slidingmovement in the grooves at the forward end of the body, supporting armsextending upwardly from the body, a cord slidably disposed through theouter ends of the arms and attached at its forward end to said shutter,a trigger carried upon the rear end of the cord and depending throughthe body, and a tripping leaf arranged within the body for cooperationwith the trigger.

2. A trap including a relatively long and narrow body, a hinged doorupon the rear end of the body, a pocket carried against the inner faceof the door, a shutter arranged at the outer end of the body for closingthe same, arms arranged upon the body, a cord carried through the outerends of the arms and attached to said shutter, a trigger attached to therear end of the cord and depending through the body, a lip formed in thebody to detachably receive the trigger, and a tripping leaf arrangedwithin the body for moving the trigger to release the same from saidlip.

3. A trap including a body, a hinged door closing the rear end of thebody, a pocket carried by the door for the reception of the bait, ashutter slidably carried for vertical movement at the outer end of thebody, detachable standards carried upon the upper face of the body,adjustable arms carried by the standards, a cord carried through theouter ends of the arms and attached to said shutter, a trigger dependingfrom the opposite end of the cord into the body, a shoulder formed onthe upper end of the trigger, a lip formed upon the body for cooperationwith the shoulder to hold the trigger down, and a tripping leaf mountedwithin the body for swinging said trigger to release the same.

4. A trap including a body, a hinged door closing the rear end of thebody and having a pocket in its inner wall, a. shutter slidably disposedin the outer end of the body for closing the same, blocks carried by thebody, standards detachably mounted in the blocks,

invention arched arms adjustably disposed in the upper ends of thestandards, pulleys arranged in the outer ends of the arms, a cordpassing over the pulley and connected at one end to said shutter, atrigger depending from the opposite end of the cord through the cover ofthe body, a lip formed in the cover of the body adjacent the trigger, ashoulder formed on the trigger for engagement against the lip, and atripping leaf mounted in the body to swing the trigger and release theshoulder from said lip upon the downward movement of the leaf.

5. A trap including a body, a hinged door closing the end of the body, astrip of metal engaging across the inner face of the door and beinglooped outwardly at its upper end to form a pocket for receiving bait, atripping leaf hinged within the body adjacent to the bait pocket, a roddepending through the body and resting against the outer end of thetripping leaf, a shoulder formed upon the rod at its upper end, a lipformed upon the body for engagement with the shoulder to hold the roddown within the body, arms upwardly extending from the body, a cordcarried through the ends of the arms and attached at its inner end tosaid rod, and a shutter slidably disposed in the outer end of the bodyand connected to the opposite end of the cord for normally holding theshutter up.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. DRAPER. [1 s] lVitnesses ELIJAH C. ARMSTRONG, J on M. BAIRD.

